Art Sale

Austinites become art collectors for $100 at worldly traveling fair

Last year's Affordable Art Fair in Austin.

Photo courtesy of Affordable Art Fair

Generally speaking, collecting art can be an expensive hobby to get into. Pieces often cost in the thousands, making the art world an inaccessible one for the average person. This is one reason behind the Affordable Art Fair, which is returning to Austin's Palmer Events Center for the second year in a row from May 15-18.

For 26 years, the Affordable Art Fair has served around the world as an entry point into the art world for new collectors, or just the art curious. The event will showcase thousands of art pieces of all types from (mostly) local galleries, as well as performances, talks, tours, children's activities, music, food and drinks. Some of the talks will be geared toward newbie art collectors who want to learn more about the art-buying world.

"We're creating an accessible, approachable art-buying experience," says U.S. regional managing director Christina Salmastrelli in a press release. "Our experts will guide visitors through discovering art that perfectly fits their personality and space. Whether you are new to art or buying for your extensive collection, the fair offers something new in everyone’s journey with art."

Some of this year's featured galleries include:

Wally Workman Gallery (Austin, TX)
Yard Dog (Austin, TX)
Flatbed Press (Austin, TX)
Dimmitt Contemporary Art (Austin and Houston, TX)
Christopher Martin Gallery (Dallas, TX and Aspen, CO)
Laura Rathe Fine Art (Dallas and Houston, TX)
Off The Wall Gallery (Houston, TX)
Commerce Gallery (Lockhart, TX)
+GALLERyLABs (New Haven, CT)
The Toowoomba Gallery (Brisbane, Australia)
LUMAS (Berlin, Germany)
Galerie Duret (Paris, France)
Palma Arte (Piacenza, Italy)
Chiefs and Spirits (The Hague, Netherlands)
Bertrand Productions (Philadelphia, PA)
Al Contar Del Arte (Aranda de Duero, Spain)

While this fair may be advertised for newbie and budget-conscious art collectors, it's also fair game for collectors with higher budgets; pieces from these galleries will range anywhere from $100-$10,000.

This year alone it will also be touring through 15 cities worldwide including Amsterdam, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, New York, Singapore, Stockholm, and Vienna.

"After our debut last year, we're delighted to bring the Affordable Art Fair back to Austin," says fair director, Cori Teague in the press release. "We look forward to showcasing an even more diverse and vibrant collection of contemporary art for all Austinites to discover the joy of collecting art. Austin's creative energy continues to inspire us, and we're committed to making this year's fair an even more dynamic celebration of artistic talent."

Early bird tickets for the sale will be available online on March 27.

art home decor

Austin gallery hosts World Fair-inspired international street art party

Photo courtesy of Gallery Delytes

Some of the show's featured street artists include RabbitSnake, Sistashhhh, CityKitty, Technique2012, WarClass, Smack, and Only Abrahams.

On April 5, Austinites can experience a variety of street art, live music, cuisine, and dancing from all over the world — without ever leaving South Austin. This World's Fair, presented by Gallery Delytes, will take over Propaganda HQ for one day only.

Like Chicago's famous World Fair of 1893, this event will bring together artists, food, and music from the world over, as a way to expose Austinites to various cultures without ever leaving home.

“Gallery Delytes aims to bring people together through the universal languages of street art, music, and food,” says curator of Gallery Delytes SR Meyers in a press release. “We are excited to create an event that highlights the creativity and rich cultural tapestry of street arts from around our world, right here in Austin.”

Some of the featured artists include:

The Postman: This anonymous street art duo comes from Brighton. They have a background in graffiti and photography, and their street art is a mix of spray paint, stencils, collage, and digital media.
Brady Black: Though Black was born in Texas, he has traveled the world creating public art and "community murals" that focus on bringing attention to marginalized communities. Black began his street art in Beirut, Lebanon, and these days he's based out of Seattle.
City Kitty: City Kitty has been pasting elaborate, hand-drawn scenes throughout the city of New York for the past 14 years. He's best known for his large-scale psychedelic drawings of cats and humans with extraneous facial features, which you can see all over North America and Europe.
RabbitSnake: RabbitSnake is a local Austin street artist best known for their signature cartoon-like, long-necked and slightly creepy Donny Darko-esque rabbit tag, but they also use stencils and mixed media like attaching stuffed animals and other objects to poles, in the style of a roadside memorial.
Sam Shrug: Another artist from the U.K., Sam Shrug comes from Essex and is a mixed media street artist. He uses a combination of nostalgic printouts, found photos, paint, and halftone stencil techniques to create psychedelic-looking black and white images with splashes of vibrant color.
Sistashhhh: Another local artist, Sistashhhh uses a combination of vibrant colors in a style her Instagram page calls "Nuevo Pastiche movement." According to her IG, "it snatches from the past tears at the fabric of time throws toward an abstract surrealist future." We'd just recommend checking it out.

The rest of the lineup includes about 30 more artists.

According to Meyers, "The actual event [space] will completely be transformed into International Art Fair Grounds that will spill out into the Warehouse."

This World's Fair will take place from 5-10 pm at 625 Industrial Blvd. on April 5. Admission is free and guests are encouraged to RSVP online.

galleries visual art international street art festivals parties